U-turn after U-turn: who is the real Keir Starmer?

U-turn after U-turn: who is the real Keir Starmer?

Author: Pod Save the UK June 21, 2025 Duration: 55:04
Keir Starmer is not afraid of a U-turn. From abandoned policy pledges to reinstating the winter-fuel allowance, the list is growing. To add to this - this week, the PM has expressed his support for Israel’s military action against Iran, despite criticising Israel’s actions in Gaza. Then he caved in to calls for a full national inquiry into grooming gangs, despite earlier dismissing them as amplifying far-right demands. Whether you think these are sensible or sly, these political backflips have certainly led to a lot of headscratching when it comes to one question: what does our Prime Minister actually stand for? Nish and Coco sit down with New Statesman Editor in Chief, Tom McTague, who has spent months with Starmer trying to find out what lies beneath the title. The Government’s new Welfare Reform Bill is introduced in Parliament this week, which experts say will lead to nearly a quarter of a million more families being pushed into poverty. Nish heads down to Westminster to meet ...

The political landscape in Britain is often dissected from within the Westminster bubble, but Pod Save the UK offers a different kind of conversation. This podcast cuts through the noise of the daily headlines with a blend of sharp analysis and relatable frustration, asking the bigger questions about power, policy, and what it all means for people across the country. The hosts, seasoned in activism and political commentary, break down the week’s events without relying on insider jargon or dry parliamentary procedure. You’ll hear discussions that connect government decisions to everyday life, exploring the real-world impact of legislation and the forces shaping national debates. It’s a space for understanding the mechanics of British politics while challenging the status quo, always with an eye on how to build a more equitable future. For anyone feeling adrift in the constant churn of news cycles, this series provides clarity and a sense of shared perspective, making complex issues accessible and engaging. Tune in for a candid, often witty, and consistently insightful take on the state of the nation, where the focus is on substance over spin and holding power to account.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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Podcast Episodes
Mandelson, May Elections & Rosie Jones Mayhem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:17
British politics was shaken to its core this week when we all realised that, maybe, Keir Starmer isn’t as quite across the detail as he tries to make out. He had to explain exactly what he did and didn’t know about the d…
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Duration: 52:56
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The Mandelson Files Are Out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:02
The first wave of Mandelson files have been published. We all wanted to know what Keir Starmer knew, and when he knew it. Now we can see it in black and white. And as it turns out - Starmer was warned there was a “genera…
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Duration: 53:22
A world leader has been assassinated, schools and hospitals have been hit, and Donald Trump thinks that Keir Starmer is no Winston Churchill. It’s all kicking off as the US and Israel’s illegal war escalates across the M…
Are we stuck in never-ending political scandal? w/Ash Sarkar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:38
This week Nish and Coco are joined by friend of the pod, Ash Sarkar from Novara Media to talk about political scandal, trust and compromise. Ash’s book, Minority Rule, has a new afterword which talks about two progressiv…
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Duration: 54:06
This week Coco is joined by the comedian Cody Dahler while Nish takes a brief break and there’s so much to talk about!The Greens' Hannah Spencer has become the unexpected bookies favourite to win the Gorton and Denton by…